First-Year Courses in Psychology (Division 455)

Fall Term, 1999 (September 8 - December 22, 1999)

The Department of Psychology offers three introductory courses: Psychology 111, Psychology 114 and Psychology 115. Any of the three courses meets the prerequisite requirement for the concentration and serves as a prerequisite for the area introductory courses. Psychology 114 and Psychology 115 are honors introductory courses open to honors students and others with permission of the instructor.

Department of Psychology disenrollment policy for Psychology 111, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, and 390. Students must attend discussion section by January 15 or contact the GSI, or they may be disenrolled from the course.

Section 001.

Instructor(s): W.J. McKeachie (billmck@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: https://coursetools.ummu.umich.edu/1999/fall/lsa/psych/110/001.nsf

This is a course in cognitive psychology and motivation intended for students who wish to improve their skills and strategies for learning and memory. The topics to be covered will include: an introduction to cognitive psychology; the comprehension of both oral and written language; attention; memory and retrieval; mnemonics; organization, memory; cognitive skills; problem solving; creativity; learning styles, motivation, anxiety; learning in groups; and self-regulation. The class will include a lecture hour two days a week and weekly two-hour laboratory. The laboratory session is essential for helping to improve student learning and thinking. Nonetheless, simply carrying out the exercises in laboratory would be meaningless if students did not have a clear understanding of the conceptual base which will enable them to generalize beyond the specific exercises of the laboratory. Thus the lectures and readings are also an essential part of the course.

Section 001, 030 – Evening Exams (8-10 p.m): Tuesday, Oct 12; Tuesday, Nov 9; and Wednesday, Dec 8.

Instructor(s): Christopher Peterson (chrispet@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/111/

This course is a one-term survey which integrates material from Psychology 112 and 113. It is a broad introduction to the whole of psychology. The course serves as a basic preparation for most advanced level courses in psychology. Discussion sections offer students the opportunity to discuss and critically examine what they are learning.

Section 060.

Instructor(s): Ann Merriwether (annmerri@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/111.060/

This course is a broad introduction to the field of psychology. We will cover many topics including, perception, the nervous system, learning and memory, psychological development, intelligence, and psychopathology. There will be discussion sections offering students an opportunity to examine and discuss lecture material.

Section 070 – Evening Exams (8-10 p.m): Tuesday, Oct 12; Tuesday, Nov 9; and Wednesday, Dec 8.

Instructor(s): Chris Peterson (chrispet@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course is a one-term survey which integrates material from Psychology 112 and 113. It is a broad introduction to the whole of psychology. The course serves as a basic preparation for most advanced level courses in psychology. Section 070 is a video lecture: the lecture in section 070 will be fed in live. Discussion sections offer students the opportunity to discuss and critically examine what they are learning.

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Charles Morris (tmorris@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course provides a broad introduction to the field of psychology. We will cover such topics as physiology and behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, states of consciousness, learning and memory, thinking, intelligence, development across the life-span, motivation and emotion, personality, stress and adjustment, abnormal behavior and psychotherapy, and social psychology. The text for the course is Psychology: An Introduction (10th ed.); there is also a course pack. Each student will also be expected to select and read a number of books from a master list of recommended popular books in psychology. Grades are based primarily on two exams, a reading log or journal based on the outside readings, and attendance at and participation in class.

Section 002.

Instructor(s): Marita Inglehart (mri@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course is designed to explore contemporary psychology. At the end of this term, the student should realize that psychology covers a tremendous variety of topics and that the approaches to studying these topics are equally numerous. In order to achieve these goals, this course will cover a broad area of topics: Part 1 is a general introduction to psychology (definitions, history, methods). In Part 2, we will look at psychology on four different levels of analysis, namely on a biological level (the brain, evolution and the biological basis of behavior, behavioral genetics), a level of studying basic processes (perception, learning, information processing, motivation, and emotion), on the third level of understanding the person (development, personality theories, psychopathology, treatment of mental disorders), and finally understanding the individual in a social context (social cognition, social influence, social interaction: intra- and intergroup processes). In Part 3, we will look at one specific problem, namely the student’s transition from high school to college, and how this problem can be approached on a biological level (stress and infectious diseases), on a basic process level, on the level of looking at one person (the personality characteristics that might make an adjustment to a transition easier) and on a social level (how does social support influence our adjustment to transitions in our life). The text used is Gleitman, Psychology Norton. A courspack will be available at Dollar Bill Copying

Section 001.

Instructor(s): John Jonides (jjonides@umich.edu)

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course is designed for students interested in the relationship between behavior and brain (that is, between the functioning of the mind and the functioning of the brain) but who are not interested in being Psychology or Biology concentrators. The course will focus on specific phenomena of the mind and examine the brain mechanisms that underlie those phenomena. The topics to be covered include memory, motor functions, perception, language function, hemispheric differences in the brain, and various pathologies of cognition. Note that the course expectation is that students will learn a good deal about the anatomy and functioning of normal and damaged brains. Evaluation will be based in part on weekly quizzes, an examination, and participation in discussion section activities.

Section 001 – Constructing the Self.

Instructor(s): Rachel Russell (rmussell@umich.edu) , Maria Slowiaczek (mla@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This seminar will consider the psychology of identity and the development of a personal sense of “I” in what we would broadly consider to be normal and pathological selves. The readings in the course will consist primarily of autobiographical accounts and first person narratives. Additional texts will be drawn from the psychological and social science literature. Among the questions we will consider are these: Is being a person synonymous with being a self? What are the limits of self-knowledge (and self-deception)? How does a sense of self develop in conjunction with one’s gender, race and culture? How do we define the normal and troubled self? Is it really possible to change a self? In what ways does technology change how we understand self and subjectivity?

Section 002 – Social Change and Child Development in Africa.

Instructor(s): Oscar Barbarin (barbarin@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

In this course, students will learn about the day-to-day lives and analyze how modernization and political transformation influence the psychological development of children growing up in Southern Africa. To set the context, the course begins with a brief introduction to the history and cultures of Africa using the PBS film series on Africa by Ali Marui. It then narrows the focus on Southern Africa. Through lectures, readings, and discussion, the class will examine the evolution of Apartheid, it enduring legacy of poverty and violence and their impact on African families and their children. Students will read children’s writings about their own experiences and view the work of African filmmakers to see and understand what the day-to-day lives of African children are like. Students successfully completing this course will understand the social risks that adversely affect children’s behavioral, emotional, and academic development and be able to identify protective factors within the family and community that promote healthy development and resilience in African children and adolescents. Evaluation of student performance will be accomplished by objective tests and assigned essays.

Section 003 – Psychology and Law.

Instructor(s): Robert Pachella (pachella@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This seminar studies issues in which law and psychology interact. We will examine a number of real cases that have been covered by the popular press (e.g., the Simpson, Bobbit, and Menendez trials), as well as some fictional accounts (e.g., Grisham's A Time to Kill and Dershowitz’ The Advocate's Devil).

Section 004 – Diversity and the Coming of Age in the United States.

Instructor(s): Pamela Reid (pamreid@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Preparing for an adult role in one’s society is clearly a universal goal. But, there are economic, psychological, and social circumstances, as well as family and individual characteristics, which can make the experience different. This seminar for first-year students explores the impact of various factors in the process of becoming an adult. We will examine the coming of age process and how the experience differs for girls, as compared to boys, particularly for persons of different races, ethnicities, or social statuses. We will also discuss how the process of preparing for adulthood is represented in the media, how the process may be facilitated (or impeded), and the variety of outcomes that are possible to accomplish. The assignments will include biographies and theories of developmental psychology, as well as fiction and films.

Section 005 – Racism Underground: Hidden and Not-So-Hidden Prejudice in America.

Instructor(s): Denise Sekaquaptewa (dsekaqua@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Public opinion surveys suggest that prejudice and racism have declined dramatically since the 1940s. Has racism really declined, or simply gone underground? In this seminar we will learn about such “hidden” or covert forms of prejudice, as well as some not-so-hidden, more overt forms of prejudice. The seminar will focus primarily on Black-White intergroup relations, but issues involving other ethnic groups (e.g., Asian-Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, Latino/a Americans) and people of different sexual orientations will be included as well.

Section 006 – Positive Psychology: The Science of Optimal Human Functioning.

Instructor(s): Barbara Fredrickson (blf@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This seminar targets the classic and contemporary psychological literature on the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive, including what gives people meaning, psychological well-being, and health.

Section 007 – Psychology and Culture of Fertility, Pregnancy, and Motherhood.

Instructor(s): Ann Merriwether (annmerri@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~annmerri/index.html#Syllabi

This course will explore psychological issues surrounding women's transition to motherhood. Cultural attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related topics will be contrasted. In addition, the impact of technology on fertility and pregnancy will be discussed.

Section 008 – The Future of Work and Your Work Future.

Instructor(s): Richard Price (ricprice@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course is designed to help you explore your future career goals and, at the same time, reflect on the future of work. Our emphasis will be on active learning and exploration. We will read, discuss, do small research projects, and work both individually and in teams. In the first part of the course, we learn what writers, psychologists, and experts on work and careers have to say about the psychological meaning of work, how you will cope with challenges, shape your future self, and choose your future work. Next we look to the future where emerging technology, rapid globalization, and cultural differences will play a major role in shaping working life. The authors we read ask whether work as we know it will disappear, how it will cross national boundaries, and if we can bridge the gap between dramatically different cultures in the global work of the future. Then we ask how these global, technological, and cultural forces will actually shape future work. What is likely to happen to jobs and careers, and to the work organizations of the future? How will we experience the work itself, and how will the growing diversity of the workforce influence work and organizations? Finally, how will the new work influence our values, our sense of family, and our sense of community? In the last part of the course, students will work in teams on small research projects that explore a topic of their own choosing on the future of work.

Section 010 – Psychology and Non-Ordinary Experience.

Instructor(s): Richard Mann (rdmann@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This seminar will explore the experimental, anecdotal, and theoretical work that suggests that we humans are capable of intuition and knowledge that seriously challenge the prevailing conceptions of human potential and sensory-based reality. Experiences of non-ordinary reality are accepted as valid across a wide range of cultures and under varied conditions. However, it is only recently that such phenomena as remote viewing and holistic mind-body connections have begun to cross the boundary into the scientific community, stimulating both research and strenuous efforts to debunk what has been reported in the literature. We will review this literature and its critics. We will explore the possibility of replicating or extending some of these studies. And we will review efforts to make theoretical sense of what has been found to date.

Section 011 – The Psychology of Culture, Power, and Human Relations.

Instructor(s): Ruby Beale (rubeale@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

We will look at what cultural diversity is and the impact it has on human relations in different environmental contexts. We will review the old adage of American Culture as a “Melting Pot” of a plethora of European cultures and the ensuing criteria for membership. Subsequently, we will examine the new order thinking also known as a paradigm shift (though still not a behavioral shift) encouraging the American culture to become more global, embracing pluralism and forming the “Salad Bowl” approach of multiculturalism. This shift/change has presented opportunities, challenges, and conflicts within for American Society that warrants some investigation. We will brainstorm, identify, and develop approaches that can empower individuals, groups, and organizations in the change process to act with agency and progress towards a multicultural society.

Section 012 – Late Life Potential.

Instructor(s): Marion Perlmutter (perlmut@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: https://coursetools.ummu.umich.edu/1999/fall/lsa/psych/120/012.nsf

This first-year seminar will focus on late life potential. Late life usually is considered a time of inevitable loss. However, there is growing evidence about ways to limit these losses, and also possible promote gains and in late life. Over the term we will examine theory and research on development and aging, as well as read biographical material on late life greatness, study examples of late life accomplishments, and talk with vital old people. By the end of the term, students should understand the nature of late life potential, as well as some of the conditions that facilitate it. From this understanding we will also consider appropriate roles for the elders of our society. The seminar will mainly involve discussion. Students will be evaluated by weekly assignments and a final exam.

Section 013, 014 – Leadership: Theory and Practice.

Instructor(s): Charles Morris (tmorris@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This is a multidisciplinary seminar for first-year students that explores the questions: What is leadership? What are some styles of leadership and traits of effective leaders? How does one lead? We will examine both classical and contemporary views of leadership as well as what contemporary theory and research in the behavioral sciences tells us about leadership. This is not a “how to do it” course in leadership, though students will learn a great deal about how to be an effective leader. Core readings consist of Gardner On Leadership, and McFarland et al. 21st Century Leadership. Small groups of students will also prepare an oral and written report on one outstanding leader of their choice. Course grades will be based on attendance at and participation in class discussions, a reading log or journal, several brief position papers, an end-of-class essay, and the oral and written reports.

Section 015 – Health & Healing: Mind & Body.

Instructor(s): Anne Murphy (jamurphy@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This seminar will explore conceptions of health and healing within a broad range of traditions, from conventional allopathic medicine to shamanism. We will study the mind/body relation within these traditions and examine the influence of culture on medical practices. We will consider current scientific studies that elucidate how the mind/body connection impacts on health. This seminar will encourage a broadening of our conception of health to include physical, mental as well as spiritual well-being. Students will examine their personal beliefs and understanding of health. Grades will be based on short written assignments, a self-designed project, and class participation.

Section 016 – Language and Thought.

Instructor(s): Susan Gelman (gelman@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

We will examine the question of how language influences thought and how thought influences language. Through case studies, films, readings, and demonstrations, we will explore current psychological evidence. Topics include: language universals, variation across languages, bilingualism, communication in apes and other species, atypical language development in children, language disorders, and exceptional language. Students should obtain a deeper understanding of human language, and discover how an age-old philosophical issue can be studied scientifically.

Section 017 – Violence in the Lives of Children.

Instructor(s): Sandra Graham-Bermann (sandragb@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This first-year seminar presents an introduction to understanding violence in the lives of children. Methods of instruction are varied and include reading novels, reports of research findings, films, lectures, and the presentation of clinical case material. The course begins with an articulation of the prevalence and incidence of seven kinds of violence against children, moves on to present a number of theoretical models that have been used to explain violence against children and reviews the specific effects of various kinds of violence on children’s adjustment. The course concludes with a discussion of prevention programs and interventions designed to help children in the wake of violence exposure. There are required weekly reaction papers (short essays) and a final paper (approximately 10-12 pages). Grades are based on the quality of the reaction papers and the final paper as well as class participation and discussion.

Section 018 – The Psychology of Intelligence.

Instructor(s): James Hoeffner

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

The study of intelligence has a long history which has been filled with excitement, debate, and controversy. In this seminar, we will closely examine some of the major issues and controversies in the study of intelligence. We will discuss questions such as: How do we define intelligence? How can it be measured? Why are there individual differences in intelligence? What are the roles of genes, culture, and environment? What can we learn about intelligence by studying extreme cases such as “geniuses” or “savants”? Can intelligence be increased? How does the “intelligence” of other animals compare to our own?

Section 001 – The Evolution of Consciousness and Cognition.

Instructor(s): David Meyer (demeyer@umich.edu)

First-Year Seminar,

Credits: (3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the nature of conscious and unconscious mental processes in various types of human cognition and action, including perception, memory, thinking, and behavior broadly construed. We will take an eclectic approach in our exploration, encompassing points of view found in disciplines such as psychology, neurophysiology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, and medical practice. Both normal and altered states of consciousness (e.g., sleep, dreaming, meditation, hypnosis, and hallucination) will be considered from these perspectives.

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Ruby Beale (rubeale@umich.edu)

Credits: (2).

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~igrc/index3.html

In a multicultural society, discussion about group conflict, commonalities, and differences can facilitate understanding and interaction between social groups. In this course, students will participate in structured meetings of at least two different social identity groups, discuss readings, and explore each group’s experiences in social and institutional contexts. Students will examine psychological, historical, and sociological materials which address each group’s experiences, and learn about issues facing the groups in contemporary society. The goal is to create a setting in which students will engage in open and constructive dialogue, learning, and exploration. The second goal is to actively identify alternative resolutions of intergroup conflicts. Different sections of this course focus on different identity groups (for example, white people/people of color; Blacks/Jews; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and heterosexuals; white women/women of color; Blacks/Latinos/Asians; men/women).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Project Outreach enables students to do field work in local community settings. The purpose is to gain an understanding of yourself, the agency in which you will work, the people whom you will serve, the psychological concepts observed in action, and to provide a genuine community service. Outreach includes approximately 45 agencies in which you can provide direct service to children in day care settings, adolescents in after-school programs, handicapped children and adults, women, physically ill adults and children, persons legally confined to criminal institutions, and others. All sections are two credits, requiring six hours of work per week including four (4) of fieldwork; journal writing, readings, papers; one hour lecture and one hour discussion. Students need to check the Time Schedule for lecture/discussion times and meeting places per section. Students are invited to stop by the Outreach Office at 1346 East Hall beginning March 17, 1999 to pick up an Outreach Booklet and receive information regarding registration, field work, and general course information for the Fall Term 1999. Two separate sections of Outreach count as an experiential lab for the Psychology concentration; they do not count as a lab for the Biopsychology and Cognitive Sciences concentration. Outreach Office hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM til 4:00 PM, 764-9179.

Section 001 – Working with Preschool Children. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Students will work at a placement with infants, toddlers, and preschool children. The children with whom you work will come from a variety of backgrounds including some children “at risk” due to such factors as living in single-parent or low-income households, or experiencing special educational or emotional needs. Lectures and discussion will address the diversity of experiences that impact young children and their development in our culture.

Section 002 – Big Sibs: Community and Opportunity. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Be a Big Sib: develop a meaningful individual relationship with a child in need of the companionship of a consistent caring adult. Share in activities and enjoy being with a young person in the community. Some students might also have the opportunity to be a Big Sib to a physically or mentally handicapped child.

Section 003 – Juvenile Delinquency and Criminal Justice. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Establish meaningful friendships with and serve as positive role models for teenagers or adults whose behavior is in conflict with the rules and laws of our society. Work in group settings at agencies where juvenile delinquents or adults live or go to school. Help plan and carry out activities that will foster individuals’ self-esteem and permit them to recognize and develop their skills and strengths. Learn about juvenile delinquency, criminality, the criminal justice system, gang behavior, institutionalization, and rehabilitation.

Section 004 – Working with School-Age Children and Teens. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Establish meaningful friendships with and serve as positive role models for teenagers or adults whose behavior is in conflict with the rules and laws of our society. Work in group settings at correctional facilities or individually where juvenile delinquents or adults live or go to school. Help plan and carry out activities that will foster individuals' self-esteem and permit them to recognize and develop their skills and strengths. Learn about juvenile delinquency, criminality, the criminal justice system, gang behavior, institutionalization, and rehabilitation. Lecture/Discussion time for this section will be Monday 4-6 pm (place will be listed in the Time Schedule).

Section 005 – Health, Illness, and Society. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Help patients and families in medical and other health care settings by offering empathy, emotional and practical support in waiting rooms, at bedside, in community health clinics and in other settings. Provide supervised occupational, physical, rehabilitative, educational, and recreational therapy and support for people with special physical or health needs: senior citizens; children who are physically impaired; people who are HIV positive; and people with chemical dependency problems, or work with groups trying to prevent particular health problems, to promote health education, or those that are advocating for improved health services. Learn about health care, health promotion, and how people cope with stress.

Section 006 – Exploring Careers. (2 Credits).

Credits: (1-2).

Lab Fee: Laboratory fee ($15) required.

Course Homepage: http://www.umich.edu/~psycours/211/

Learn about your own abilities and interests; investigate college majors and careers that best fit these; explore graduate school options; write a resume and cover letter; improve your job search strategies; talk with professionals in various fields; increase your awareness of social issues that affect people’s career decisions and work lives.